Stars shine on Earth Day
US: Actress Sigourney Weaver warned of the dangers facing
oceans, President Barack Obama threw a White House party, and UN Chief
Ban Ki-moon urged the world to kick the carbon habit — all in honour of
planet Earth.
They were part of a galaxy of stars from the political, show business
and sports worlds who shone the spotlight on Mother Nature as the United
States marked the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on Thursday.
At a White House reception, Obama called Earth Day “a bright moment
in our nation’s history and a milestone in the ongoing fight to protect
our environment.”
Earth Day was “created” in 1970 by Gaylord Nelson, a senator from
Wisconsin, and Dennis Hayes, then a young graduate student.
“Together, they raised their voices and called on every American to
take action on behalf of our environment,” Obama said.
“And in the four decades since, millions of Americans have heeded
that call and joined together to protect the planet. And we’ve made
immense progress since that day, from the landmark legislation of the
1970s, the Clean Air and the Clean Water Act, to the conservation of
America’s precious landscapes,” he said.
Weaver took a lead role in the Earth Day celebrations, testifying
before a Senate subcommittee alongside a fisherman, a diver and two
scientists about how carbon emissions are turning the world’s oceans
into acid baths.
Washington, Friday, AFP |